25 new MP4-12C GT3 cars to race across Europe and in FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012

Full list of McLaren GT customer teams and race series entries now confirmed

McLaren MP4-12C sports car selected as safety car for FIA GT1 World Championship race at Nogaro on 8-9 April

The new McLaren MP4-12C GT3 is set for its competitive race debut in
2012, following an intensive development programme in 2011. Prototype
versions of the 12C covered more than 35,000 miles on real world and
simulated test tracks last year as McLaren GT worked towards the
delivery of an incredibly efficient, reliable and rewarding to drive
race car in 2012. The competitive race season begins for new McLaren GT
customer teams in Germany on 31 March, with the opening rounds of the
VLN and ADAC GT Masters championships at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe
and Oschersleben respectively.

The MP4-12C sports car, on which the GT3 racer is based, will also
make its debut as a safety car in the FIA GT1 World Championship race at
the Nogaro circuit in France on 8-9 April.

Blancpain Endurance Series entry list swells as ten McLaren MP4-12C GT3s line up in 2012

Fans of the Blancpain Endurance Series can look forward to seeing ten
12C GT3s line up on the grid for the season opener in Monza next month,
after completing the competition’s official first test last week at
Paul Ricard HTTT. The McLaren race cars will wear the unique liveries
of ART, ASM, Boutsen Energy, Gulf Racing, Molitor Racing, United
Autosports and Von Ryan Racing. The JAS team will also take part in
selected rounds of the championship.

Gemballa Racing and Doerr Motorsport will compete in the 12C GT3 in
the German VLN series, which includes the famous 24 Hour Nürburgring
endurance race in May.

Molitor Racing and Gemballa Racing will run in ADAC GT Masters, and
French FIA GT1 Champions Hexis Racing will line up on the grid of the
FIA GT1 World Championship. Series Champions Apex Motorsport will enter a
new 12C GT3 in selected rounds of this year’s British GT championship,
while the Lapidus Racing team will contest the International GT Open
series, and also compete in forthcoming 24-hour races at
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

Teams racing the 12C GT3 in 2012 have enlisted the services of highly
successful racing drivers for the 2012 season. Former Formula 1 drivers
Mark Blundell and David Brabham (also a Le Mans 24hr winning driver)
will race for United Autosports and 2011 Formula 2 competitor Jack
Clarke will drive for Boutsen Energy. Rob Bell, Alvaro Parente and
Alexander Sims, who recently joined the McLaren GT driver line-up for
2012, will be placed with customer teams, while McLaren Automotive Chief
Test Driver Chris Goodwin will also contest selected races in a 12C GT3
throughout the season.

Andrew Kirkaldy, Project Manager for McLaren GT said: “I’m
excited that we are so close to seeing the 12C GT3 in its first full
race season. The feedback I have received from customers that have
already taken delivery of the car is very positive.

“The 2011 development programme was challenging, but had many
highlights. We started with a pole position in qualifying at
Spa-Francorchamps in the British GT Championship, and ended the race
season with a third place finish in Macau.

“In one year, McLaren GT has taken the 12C GT3 from concept to
race readiness. We will learn more about the car in the early part of
the season - and expectations will naturally be high of a car full of
Formula 1 technology - but our objective is tomakes the 12C GT3 as much a pleasure to own and run as it is race.”

Customer teams will be supported by official McLaren GT engineers
throughout the 2012 season, and will also have access to a full range of
spare parts at each race. Away from the track, the teams will be
offered the use of McLaren’s simulator, which was used by McLaren
Automotive to specify the groundbreaking 12C road car, and by McLaren
Racing to develop all of its successful recent Formula 1 cars.

New McLaren GT drivers track test the MP4-12C road car

McLaren GT recently announced its official 2012 driver line-up with
the acquisition of Rob Bell, Alexander Sims and Alvaro Parente. As part
of an induction programme to McLaren GT and McLaren Automotive, the top
trio of GT racing drivers were given the opportunity to get behind the
wheel of brand new MP4-12C sports cars at the circuit ‘home’ of McLaren
Automotive, Dunsfold Park. The challenging ‘figure-of-eight’ circuit is
also known worldwide for being the BBC Top Gear test track.

The 12C GT3 shares the same V8 twin turbo engine and carbon
‘MonoCell’ chassis as its road car sibling, and its aerodynamic package
was developed by McLaren GT in partnership with specialist engineers and
designers at McLaren Automotive.

Rob Bell said: “Driving the 12C on track was a special
opportunity and one that helped us learn a lot about the way McLaren
develops its cars. I had a huge grin on my face because unlike any other
sports car I have driven, it lacks nothing on track. It is easy to
drive very fast and very safely. I want to find the quickest way around a
circuit in any car I drive, and the value of technology like Brake
Steer and the 12C’s Airbrake is absolutely clear to me. I actually think
I might have been quicker than ‘The Stig’ on the day...”